{"id":25561,"date":"2026-03-04T23:04:55","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T23:04:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/25561\/"},"modified":"2026-03-04T23:04:55","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T23:04:55","slug":"insurer-beazleys-profits-hit-by-global-turmoil-amid-8bn-zurich-takeover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/25561\/","title":{"rendered":"Insurer Beazley&#8217;s profits hit by global turmoil amid \u00a38bn Zurich takeover"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"author-section byline-plain\">By EMILY HAWKINS <a rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/follow?screen_name=emilyhwkns&amp;tw_p=followbutton\" class=\"twitter-follow-author\"><\/a> <\/p>\n<p class=\"byline-section\"> Updated:  09:48 EST, 4 March 2026   <\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Insurance giant Beazley has seen profits plunge just weeks after agreeing to be taken over by Zurich Insurance in a deal worth \u00a38.1billion.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The Lloyd\u2019s of London underwriter revealed profit tumbled to \u00a3870m in 2025\u00a0 &#8211; a drop of 19 per cent compared to the year before, as it pointed to a \u2018softening\u2019 market.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The FTSE-100 firm is one of the world\u2019s largest specialist insurers and focuses on areas including cybersecurity, fine art and yachts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">It said insurance written premiums slid 1 per cent to \u00a34.56billion and earnings per share fell 17 per cent to 113.4p.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Chief executive Adrian Cox said that the results came &#8216;amidst a volatile global backdrop and in a softening insurance rating environment.&#8217;\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;In these conditions, our robust underwriting discipline and active cycle management continued to ensure our success,&#8217; he said.<\/p>\n<p>   <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-9a1c215d16f298df\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/106859265-15613433-image-a-1_1772625292764.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Beazley revealed its annual profits plunged last year amid a 'softening' insurance market\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Beazley revealed its annual profits plunged last year amid a &#8216;softening&#8217; insurance market<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">He added: &#8216;As we start 2026, we continue to see a similar pattern of competitive insurance pricing and global instability.\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">But it said that \u2018as things stand, our exposure to the unfolding events in the Middle East is limited, and we do not expect to be materially impacted\u2019 after war broke out this week following US attacks on Iran.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould said: \u2018A dip in profits in 2025 means that Beazley is not quite going out on a high as it recommends the cash-and-dividend takeover bid from Zurich Insurance, but the Lloyd\u2019s of London syndicate manager\u2019s share price strongly suggests that shareholders are going to support the deal.\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">\u2018That may also catch the eye of shareholders in other listed non-life insurance plays, since both Hiscox and Lancashire look cheap relative to the valuation implied by the Swiss offer for Beazley.\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Beazley, which was set up in 1986 and joined the stock market in 2002, is based in London and has operations in Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">It said on Monday that it had agreed to be sold to Zurich for \u00a38.1billion &#8211; a move which will create a UK-based global specialist insurance powerhouse but will see Beazley exit the London stock market.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The news reignited fears that successful UK firms are being sold on the cheap.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">There are concerns that such takeovers are hollowing out the stock market and handing lucrative returns to foreign owners.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">It comes as aerospace supplier Senior could become the latest UK-listed firm to fall to overseas predators as it eyes a joint bid from US investment firms Tinicum and Blackstone.<\/p>\n<p>DIY INVESTING PLATFORMS<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772665493_722_A J Bell 2022_122X84.png\" alt=\"Easy investing and ready-made portfolios\" \/>AJ Bell<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772665493_722_A J Bell 2022_122X84.png\" alt=\"Easy investing and ready-made portfolios\" \/>AJ Bell<\/p>\n<p>Easy investing and ready-made portfolios<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/HL-Logo_122x84.jpg\" alt=\"Free fund dealing and investment ideas\" \/>Hargreaves Lansdown<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/HL-Logo_122x84.jpg\" alt=\"Free fund dealing and investment ideas\" \/>Hargreaves Lansdown<\/p>\n<p>Free fund dealing and investment ideas<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ii_thisismoney_122x84.png\" alt=\"Flat-fee investing from \u00a34.99 per month\" \/>interactive investor<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ii_thisismoney_122x84.png\" alt=\"Flat-fee investing from \u00a34.99 per month\" \/>interactive investor<\/p>\n<p>Flat-fee investing from \u00a34.99 per month<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Freetrade.jpg\" alt=\"Investing Isa now free on basic plan\" \/>Freetrade<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Freetrade.jpg\" alt=\"Investing Isa now free on basic plan\" \/>Freetrade<\/p>\n<p>Investing Isa now free on basic plan<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772665495_820_T212Logo_Icon_130x90.png\n\" alt=\"Free share dealing and no account fee\" \/>Trading 212<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772665495_820_T212Logo_Icon_130x90.png\n\" alt=\"Free share dealing and no account fee\" \/>Trading 212<\/p>\n<p>Free share dealing and no account fee<\/p>\n<p class=\"tim-affiliate-text\">Affiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisismoney.co.uk\/money\/diyinvesting\/article-1718291\/Pick-best-cheapest-investment-Isa-platform.html?ico=tim-affiliate_desktop_bottom-link-click\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"optional-btn-wrapper\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Compare the best investing account for you <\/a><\/p>\n<p>                    Share or comment on this article:<br \/>\n                        Insurer Beazley&#8217;s profits hit by global turmoil amid \u00a38bn Zurich takeover<\/p>\n<p>        <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By EMILY HAWKINS Updated: 09:48 EST, 4 March 2026 Insurance giant Beazley has seen profits plunge just weeks&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":25562,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[5435,10709,10708,51],"class_list":{"0":"post-25561","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-zurich","8":"tag-money","9":"tag-moneymarkets","10":"tag-thisismoney","11":"tag-zurich"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ch\/116173414467429565","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25561","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25561"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25561\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25562"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25561"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25561"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25561"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}